Man charged in connection with deadly Missouri crash

PATTON (AP) — A 49-year-old man is accused of causing a southeast Missouri crash that killed two people riding a motorcycle.

Bollinger County prosecutors charged Paul E. Patton with two involuntary manslaughter counts. Online court records don't show whether he has an attorney.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said a pickup truck driven by Patton crossed into the motorcycle's path Sunday afternoon. The victims were 58-year-old Richard Augustine and 60-year-old Debra Smith, both of Farmington.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said that according to court documents, Patton told a state trooper he lost control of the vehicle after a dog jumped in his lap. Patton also allegedly said he had consumed mixed drinks and beer and had taken several Percocet pills for back pain. The trooper said Patton refused a breath test.